Coyote’s Path is a monthly wilderness youth program for ages 6-16, starting in October of the year. Most months it will be held on the first Saturday of the month. Students are split into age-appropriate “clans.” The children will have the opportunity to come together as a whole group at the beginning and end of each day, and spend the day with their clans. The goals of the course include:
– Immersion in core routines of Native Awareness
– Practical applications of nature study
– Developing a close connection with not only nature, but with group dynamics and interaction as well
– Empowering youth to bring their constant awareness to maintaining a container for physical and emotional safety and trust, while…
– …Building self-confidence outdoors in all kinds of seasonal changes and weather
– Balancing individual attention and peer-to-peer mentoring
– Creative and imaginative play
– Honoring diversity
– Giving each student the tools to continue passionate study of nature in their own home, on their own time
Learn through:
– Tracking
– Fire making
– Wandering with Awareness
– Stalking and the Art of Camouflage
– Storytelling
– Discovering Natural Mysteries
– Shelter Building
– Making Natural Cordage
– Natural Basket Making
– Flint Napping
– Other Natural Crafts
– Group Dynamics
– Games and Play
Why is it important to have our children connect to nature?
Nature immersion time is an opportunity for youth to experience the inner stillness of the wilderness mind, the core routines of native awareness, and fun challenges throughout the seasons. Children discover their unique strengths and come to feel their inner power. They come to know that they can care for themselves, successfully face difficult challenges and even set their sights on solving seemingly impossible problems. Nature is the ultimate teacher when it comes to expectations, facing change, faith, positive attitude, gratitude, magical mysteries, problem solving and inventive play.
In the process of our programs, campers develop important life skills like teamwork; thankfulness; patience; common sense; self confidence; and respect for self, each other and nature.
For more information on the subject, see Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv.
Important tangible and intangible skills are woven invisibly into each day. For example, campers might learn inner stillness through the need to observe a songbird singing its morning song. They might learn teamwork and communication through talking circles or the need to quickly build a group shelter. Our focus is on helping campers to build skills that will serve them for a lifetime.
Personalized attention insures that experienced students are fully engaged. They have the opportunity to learn skills such as fire making, bird language, tracking, naturalist skills and shelter building techniques; take a greater responsibility for group decisions and projects; participate in their own advanced challenges; and assist the staff in teaching the skills they have practiced with new students.
2009-2010 Dates
All program dates include optional overnight for ages 10+.
October 3
November 7
December 5
January 16
February 6
March 6
April 3*
May 1*
* – On these dates, overnight is open to all ages.
Cost
The cost for the Coyote’s Path program runs on a sliding scale of $360-$485 for the 8 day sessions, with an additional sliding scale of $45-60 added for each overnight (overnights now including food provided by IFNL).